The Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) is preparing to transition certain contracts to a 24/7 trading model.

On June 11 local time, the CME announced that, pending regulatory approval, it will offer its newly launched smaller-sized crude oil and gold contracts for trading 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The new crude oil contract will be one-tenth the size of the exchange's existing Micro WTI Crude Oil futures and is scheduled to launch on August 30; the 24-hour trading for its existing 1-ounce gold futures contract will commence on July 26.

Both contracts, pending regulatory review, will be cash-settled and listed for trading on NYMEX and COMEX, respectively.

Derek Sammann, CME Group's Global Head of Commodities and Options Products, stated, "Amid geopolitical uncertainty, investors are increasingly looking to diversify their portfolios through the commodities markets. By offering regulated products in appropriate sizes that are available 24/7, we ensure traders can manage their risk exposure whenever events occur."

WTI Crude Oil futures serve as a core global benchmark for oil pricing and risk management. In the first quarter of 2026, average daily volume for WTI Crude Oil options reached a record high of 320,000 contracts. Micro WTI Crude Oil futures also performed strongly, with an average daily volume of 272,000 contracts in May, a 317% increase from the same period in 2025.

The CME hosts the world's primary gold benchmark futures contract, with an average daily notional trading value reaching $100 billion in 2025. The exchange launched a cash-settled 1-ounce gold futures contract in January 2025, which by 2026 was already seeing average daily volume of 90,000 contracts.

This move comes against a backdrop where the US-Iran conflict since late February has exposed a structural weakness in energy markets—the inability to trade "weekend risk"—while demand for round-the-clock trading on offshore platforms, exemplified by Hyperliquid, continues to rise. Reports indicate that Intercontinental Exchange Inc. and CME Group are pressuring US regulators to impose constraints on such offshore trading venues.

By introducing smaller-denomination contracts more suitable for flexible hedging by both retail and institutional investors, the CME is effectively using its compliant clearing, margin systems, regulatory transparency, and brand credibility to draw investor demand for 24/7 trading back into the regulated exchange environment.

CME Group primarily covers futures, options, cash markets, and some over-the-counter trading, standing as one of the world's most significant derivatives trading and risk management platforms. Its core benchmarks broadly include: US Treasury futures, SOFR, Federal Funds Rate, S&P 500, Nasdaq-100, Dow Jones, Russell, and Nikkei equity index futures and options, as well as WTI crude oil, natural gas, gasoline, gold, silver, copper, platinum, palladium, corn, wheat, soybeans, and soybean meal.